5761

1861 $5 Clark, Gruber $5 White Metal Die Trial MS63 NG

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1861 $5 Clark, Gruber $5 White Metal Die Trial MS63 NG
<B>1861<$5> Clark, Gruber $5 White Metal Die Trial MS63 NGC.</B></I> K-10a, R.8. An even finer example of this important trial striking for the second year of production of this private mint. The Clark, Gruber partnership stepped in and filled a void in the local economy after the recent gold and silver strikes. Just as in California a decade earlier, there was little circulating coinage in Colorado, but more importantly there was no practical way to convert the newly discovered ore into spendable coin form. Clark and Gruber never intended to be anything more than a stop-gap measure until the federal government could provide coinage for local citizens. They produced gold coins and notes for two years in two locations (Denver and Central City), and in 1863 they sold their facilities to the United States government. The United States Mint at Denver opened for business in late 1863 as a United States Assay Office.<BR> This piece has bright remnants of the original white metal around the reverse devices with light to medium gray patina seen elsewhere. A bit weakly defined, as expected, the surfaces display numerous contact marks with the most obvious ones located at the base of the truncation of Liberty's neck.<BR><I>Accompanied by an NGC Photo Proof.</B></I>